Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sealing element for sealing a gap which may be formed between two components being movable thermally relative to one another and each having a component groove located one opposite the other, particularly in a gas turbine plant. The invention also relates to a gas turbine plant having sealing elements.
In industrial plants, particularly thermomechanical machines and chemical plants, in which different fluids are used, it may be necessary to keep those fluids separate from one another within the plants. For example, in thermal combustion power plants, flow regions of hot combustion gases have to be separated sealingly from flow regions of cooling gases of lower temperature. In gas turbine plants with high turbine inlet temperatures, for example of more than 1000.degree. C., thermal expansions of the individual components of the gas turbine plant occur, so that adjacent components are sometimes spaced from one another through the use of a gap in order to avoid high thermal stresses and the formation of cracks. Such gaps may constitute connections between flow regions of hot gases and flow regions of cold gases. It is advantageous to seal off the gap to reduce the inflow of cold gas into the flow region of hot gases so as not to thereby lower the temperature in the flow region of hot gases.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,172 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,045, each of which describe a gas turbine with an outer casing and a two-part inner casing, accordingly specify a sealing element that has a cross-section in the shape of an elongate C for sealing a gap between the two inner casings. An annular gap, through which cooling fluid is guided, is formed between the inner casing and the outer casing. The hot gas for driving the gas turbine flows within the inner casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,024 describes a gas turbine plant, in which components of a nozzle structure are sealed through the use of axial and radial sealing elements. The sealing elements are intended to prevent hot gas which flows through the nozzle structure from infiltrating into turbine regions outside the hot-gas duct. A sealing element can have approximately the shape of a squashed eight as seen in cross-section.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,816,293 relates to a leak-proof connection of two hot-steam conduits. That steam-proof connection is made by firmly screwing two flanges together. The flanges each have an annular sealing surface which is toothed. The teeth of the sealing surfaces that are pressed onto one another are deformed in order to achieve an increased sealing effect. A sealing ring, which is toothed on both sides and through which the same sealing effect is achieved, is alternatively or additionally inserted between the flanges.